Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-18


listen. When ysu hear the voice of the
Master, fix yonr eyes upon mine intently;
your thoughts from all earthly
things speak not move not" He raised
his hand and looked up as one who waits
to hear a signal. master ~ he cried.
"Isak ibs Menelek ~
Then, far, far away, yet distinct and
clear and audible, there followed the re
ply, "My children, am ready"
HE is waiting. Now. Oh move not !;
speak not think not; a moment more
and you will be gone, swifter than
thought, swifter than electricity, to the
hi Is of Abyssinia "
AS he spoke he leaned over and met his
pupils eyes with his own, black and lus-
trous, commanding and compelling. In
less than minute Mr.. Brudenel's head
bent forward, his face grew rigid, his eyes
dilated, and his frame stiffened. Paul
stood up and breathed deeply; then he
glazed eye. rs one who administers chloro-
form and wishes to ascertain if it has yet
taken full effect.
"You are now, my friend" he murmur-
ed, ION the highroad to Abyssinia. Isak
ibn Meneek has much to say to you. Stay
there awhile"
Thirty wears of Physical Research had
perhaps made Mr.. Brudenel a ready, as
we'll as willing subject to certain in
huences which some call by one name and
some by another. They may all be reduc-
ed to one aud the same force. He was
now, as Paul had promised him, in Abys-
sinia, or somewhere else far away from
his own study, apparently llteless and I'M
conscious.
FAM stood looking at him for few mo
ments. 1t is not everyone who can assist
his frienus to 20 in an instant to Abyssinia,
and he might fairly have shown some
pride in the achievement. But he did not.
The smile had left his lips and his face
was grave aud full of business, and he
proceeded to behave in very strange and
remarkable manner. First, he went to the
door of the study and locked it, though no
one in the house would nave dared to dis
turb Mr. Brudenel in his study. Then he
drew the heavy curtains across the door so
that no one should be able to see through
the key hole, though not even a house
maid would have dared to do such a
thing,
Paul next stood up the handful of letters
which had arrived that morning, opened
them all, read hem, and laid them in the
basket which received the days correspon-
dence until it was answered. Apparently,
the letters yielded him no information.
Mr.. Brudenel's bundle of keys lay on
the table beside the letters. Paul took it
up and opened the safe which stood
against the wall in the far corner. 1t was
full of papers, legal documents, and such
things. Paul laid everything upon the
table ana leiSurely examined all the
papers This took him half an hour, dur
ing which the unconscious man moved
not so much as an eyelash.
"Hhere isn't" he said, "a single scrap of
paper to help. Yet | am perfectly certain,
from what LaVnia said, that the Old man
meant Brudenel and Company, the ship
owning company, the man who made his
fortune by the business, the same who re
tired and made it into a Limited concern
it must be Brudenel and Company"
He considered little.
81 Just hate to do it." he said. "If there
was any other way-but lit does him no
harm-and knowledge is power Come,
old boy He made IA gesture and Mr.. Bru-
denel moved and half opened his eyes.
mo, not yet, you can come back from
Abyssinia, but you have got to do some
work for me before you wake up. Turn
your chair round tothe table" Mr.. Bru-
denel sat in one of those chairs which re
vOlve upon their seat without altering the
position of the legs. $50, that will do,
take up your pen, now the notepaper.
Write at my dlctation in your own hand
writing Mr.. Brudenel still with closed
eyes, obeyed That Is to say, he took Ger
tain sheets of note paper and wrote one
after the other, at Paul's dictaton, few
short letters in his usual handwriting,
letters and laid them in the basket.
There" he said, you will never know
how these letters came to be written.
Now you must answer few questions if
you please"
The sleeping man sat bolt upright in his
chair with eyes closed and pale cheeks.
There was not not the least sign of life in
him, or of hearing what was said to him
Tell me" said Paul. 'What fortune
does your daughter possess in her OWL
right and apart from anything you may
leave her"
"Sibyl has ten Thousand pounds,
Mr.. Brudenel replied. One unaccustomeC
to those things would have shuddered and
trembled For his voice sounded weak
and far away He spoke with no more
movement than the mere opening anC
shutting of his lips; when he finished his
answer his lips closed with snap. 1t was
like insulting Roger Rogers famous head
1t was like questioning a corpse. The
answer came-a true anSwer-but one fell
that the Will was held captive, and the
brain was unconscious.
Are you her sole guardian ~
81 am"
Where is her money invested 2"
at Is all in Brudenel and Company"
Are you also sole guardian and eXecu
tor for the two Langstons, Cicely and hel
cousin Tom ?"
i am.
"What fortunes have they ?"
tom has fifteen thousand pounds
Cicely has twelve thousand pounds. II
Toms cousin, Sir Percival, should prov,
to be dead, he will succeed to the property
and the title"
when do they receive their for
tunes -
tom is to have his at the age of five
and twenty Cicely at one-and-twenty
| Their birthdays fall on the same day
! Consequently, they will both come int
possession of their property on April tn
! twenty third"
"And it is now March the twenty-third
Where is their money!"
at is all invested In shares of Brudene
and Company"
! las for your own money, now. HaY
you any shares in the company ?"
mo. | sold out to buy land"
"And lady Augustus fortune ?"
1T is in the hands of trustees
"Brudenel and Company has been
great house, has it not"
YES, very great house"
"NOu have trusted it entirely, have yol
not =
Entirely"
apo YOU know the present secretary ,"
Yes"